Arrows Through the Heart
by Maya Melancholy
Summary: A/U. Full summary inside. Sesshomaru and Kagome come from two very different worlds. Although Kagome just had her heart broken by Inuyasha, and she works for his family... there's no way she could ever fall for his older and colder brother, right? And who is to say the great Sesshomaru would fall for her in return?
1. An Unexpected Encounter

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the characters used in this story.

**Full Summary:** Alternate universe. Sesshomaru x Kagome. One year ago, Kagome left her home in Japan to chase her dreams in the United States of America. An aspiring chef, Kagome works and lives with her best friend, Sango, in a sushi restaurant called _Shippo's_. The restaurant is owned by Western Lands Inc., a company that has two heirs fighting for its ownership, and the heart of one Higurashi Kagome. While Sesshomaru is seemingly uncaring and cold, Inuyasha may have ruined his last chance with Kagome for good. Rated M for language and mature content.

**Author's note:** I posted this first chapter once before, but took it down. I wanted to make some changes.

**Arrows Through the Heart**

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Encounter**

Kagome sighed, looking at the old picture. She knew it was too soon. _How could I go back to work?_ She had taken a week off to help her get over the heart break, but a week was simply too short to erase a year of memories. Bittersweet; she wanted to tear the daunting photograph into hundreds of miniscule pieces and feed them to a fire – but she couldn't. She knew in her heart that he didn't mean to hurt her. And that was true: he cherished her. He just cherished some other girl a little bit more. At least he was giving her the space she needed… although it may have just been him feeling too guilty to face her. Her fingers lightly grazed over the photo: a beautiful summer day. She wore a sweet red dress with white polka dots while clinging onto his arm. _He really did love the colour red_. But, it was not particularly her own favourite colour. Her smile in the picture tore away at her; _it feels like I'll never smile like that again. I'll never be happy ever again._ She felt her eyes starting to water, so she tilted her head up towards the ceiling, "No, no, no, no, no. Deep breaths, Kagome," she said aloud to herself. She placed the picture down on her desk and left the room, but not before she caught a glimpse of the man she was clinging onto in that silly old photograph. The man with long silver hair and eyes that shone of gold.

* * *

It was great that Kagome finally decided to leave her apartment. She had been cooped up in her bed, crying into her sheets for so long. Though, the truth remains that she would still love to bury herself into her pillow even still – she knew reality was calling for her to come back. She lived in a two bedroom apartment with her best friend, Sango and their lovely feline companion, Kirara. The apartment complex stood 16 floors high: 408 Crystal Shard Boulevard, apartment 307, New York, New York. It was a modern apartment and came well-furnished. Kagome lucked out by finding a Japanese roommate who would soon become her best friend and confidant. Kagome Higurashi came to the United States from Japan about a year ago in hopes of opening up her own restaurant. It wasn't until she got to New York that she realized dreams aren't so easy to convert into actuality. She missed Japan dearly; back home she lived with her mother and younger brother, Souta in an old home near a shrine that her late grandfather used to obsess about. Remembering her home, Kagome habitually gives a slight tug on the necklace she always wore. Her recently deceased grandfather gave it to her before she left Japan. It was a crystal sphere, based off a historical piece of feudal Japan: the shikon no tama. "It will make all of your wishes come true!" Her grandfather used to tell her.

When she first landed at La Guardia airport, Kagome was being hounded by a man she thought was crazy.

"Kikyo? Kikyo! Oi, Kikyo!" The man called at her. She refused to turn around to face him, scared he was one of those sneaky perverts her mother always warned her about. Her pace quickened but the man was fast behind her still screaming that blasted name. _Some warm welcome to a new country. Running for my life._ _But, Kikyo is a Japanese name? He sounds so obnoxious! Maybe he just has me confused for someone else. Oh man, I'm going to regret this!_ Kagome stopped in her tracks and shouted, "I'm not Kikyo!"

"Kikyo? What are you shouting about?" The man asked. Kagome turned around, prepared to punch this guy for being so persistent. _Is this some weird type of pickup line thing?_ Her hands formed into fists but upon seeing the stranger's face she lost all frustration. He was a handsome man; a round face with long flowing silver hair and large, round, golden eyes. He was a bit taller than her and had a lean physique.

"W-who are you?" She asked him, her face blushing.

"Hey! You're not Kikyo. But, you look kind of like her, that's so weird," the man told her, taking hold of her chin and gave a close examination to her face. This only caused Kagome to blush even more. _Snap out of it!_ She pushed the stranger away, "Who do you think you are exactly?" she yelled at him.

"Hmph. That doesn't matter. Do you know Kikyo?" He started to look away from her. _Is he… embarrassed? _ Kagome shook her head.

"My name is Ka-go-me. Kagome! Not Kikyo. I don't know Kikyo, I don't want to know a Kikyo, but I do want to know the name of the person harassing me – or possibly harassing this poor Kikyo lady!"

"Heh! Why would I want to harass you? Or Kikyo. Pft. Whatever, Kikyo is prettier, anyways," the man tried to shrug her off. This only made Kagome's blood boil even more. But, before she could strangle this man cold in the middle of the airport, a beautiful woman came rushing to his side. She had black hair tied up in a high ponytail with soft eyes. She wore a baby pink blazer on top of her short black dress. _She's gorgeous… such a fox!_

"Inyasha," the woman began, "I hope you're not bothering this poor lady! Sorry if my friend was causing you any trouble, miss!" The lady was apologizing.

"Feh! Sango, stop talking for me, will ya?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out. Kagome's anger subsided at his cuteness and she let out a soft giggle. _He's kind of childish… but it's cute._ Just then, the name clicked in her mind.

"Wait, you don't mean Inuyasha of Western Lands, do you?" Kagome asked, suddenly struck in awe.

That's how it started. That's how Kagome got wrapped up in the world of Inuyasha and his friends, Sango and Miroku.

But, for right now, Kagome had to put this all behind her. Inside, she was still an emotional wreck. She loved Inuyasha from the bottom of her heart and she knew that he really did love her back, he just had too much unresolved feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Kikyo. Inuyasha never meant to hurt Kagome, but when Inuyasha does something wrong, he acts like a scolded child: the only remorse you'll get from him is the lost and sincerely saddened look on his juvenile face. No apology, no explanation. Kagome could have stayed with him, but every time she bumped into Kikyo, Kikyo never let her forget that Inuyasha still had her on his mind. Kagome knew that even though Kikyo was on Inuyasha's mind, she- Kagome - was the one in Inuyasha's heart. _I miss him_, Kagome got lost in her thoughts of Inuyasha – remembering how they would go everywhere and do everything together. It made everything more fun, it made everything worth doing. His lips pressed against hers, and his rough hands holding onto her thin waist. You could tell from just the way he looked at Kagome that she had a special place in his heart. He became a different person when they were alone together. He was warm and loving. He held onto her as though he never wanted to let her go. _Inuyasha…_ Kagome had to pull herself together. Although her friends wanted her to stay home and mend her heart, she didn't want to let them down. She had to get back to her feet and at least pretend that she was doing okay.

_Shippo's_ was a sushi restaurant not too far from Kagome and Sango's apartment. The restaurant manager was their close friend, Miroku. (Unfortunately for Kagome, Miroku also happened to be Inuyasha's best friend). They were all mutual friends, so she knew she would have to see Inuyasha face-to-face sooner or later. Not to mention it was Western Land Incorporated that owned the restaurant, and Inuyasha's father owned the booming corporation. Shippo's was decorated like a mixture between a Japanese and Chinese restaurant: many booth settings, large square tables with a hollow center for teppanyaki, glowing paper lanterns and an aquariam of beautiful, multi-coloured koi fish. Miroku was a handsome devil and a lecherous pervert. Although he put Buddhist statues up in his restaurant, he gave into his lust for women quite often. Despite this, Inuyasha, Sango and Kagome all knew that Miroku had a good heart – one that Sango longed to be in. Kagome walked into the restaurant, its beautiful green and gold theme; _it actually feels so good to be back here…_ Kagome walked towards the back room of the restaurant, to put her purse away so that she could begin her first shift in a week. Miroku caught sight of her and threw down his clipboard to run towards her, "Kagome!" He shouted her name.

"Oh, hey Miroku! Long time, no see. It's really good to be back though, thank you for letting me take the week off," Kagome said to him with a kind smile. Miroku, out of breath, placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a stern look in the eyes.

"Look, Kagome, we're friends. If you still need some time off, I'll understand. You don't need to push yourself. Sango and I are here for you," he told her in a respectful manner. It warmed Kagome's heart to know that her friends cared for her so much.

"Thanks, Miroku. It means a lot to me, but I think it's good that I'm getting out and getting back to work."

"Okay… but Kagome… there's something I have to tell you," Miroku said to her, his look slowly became a little more serious.

"W-what's going on? You're scaring me," she told him.

"Kagome, Western Lands is sending a representative here to check up on restaurant operations and such, and I don't know who it is. But, there is a large chance that it's going to be…" he was scared to say his name aloud in her presence, not knowing how she would react to it. Miroku was a sucker for women and could not handle tears.

"Inuyasha? Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Kagome brushed passed him with a smile on her face, but as soon as she was out of Miroku's sight, her smile turned into a pouting frown. She made her way to the back room, where she saw Sango shutting her locker.

"Hey Kagome! How are you feeling?" Sango gave her a bright smile. _Sango always looks so spiffed up for work. I wonder if it's just how she dresses, or because of Miroku?_ Kagome always admired Sango's fashion choices, but wondered why Sango was in such deep denial over her obvious feelings for their boss.

"I'm great! I almost forgot the world consisted of more than just my pillow and blanket. I heard that Inuyasha might be stopping by the restaurant tonight though…" Kagome trailed off. Sango locked her locker and gave Kagome a concerned look.

"Kagome, you don't have to work today if you don't want to-"she was cut off.

"I'm fine! Don't worry about it, Sango! It will be okay… it will be okay," Kagome repeated, and continued to repeat to herself mentally.

She honestly didn't know how she would react if she saw Inuyasha any time soon. She tried rehearsing the scenario several times in her head, but then the plausible scenario popped into her mind: what if Inuyasha brought Kikyo with him? She covered her mouth in despair – fearing she would scream from the emotional pain. _No… no… he wouldn't do that to me. Inuyasha wouldn't do that to me._ Inuyasha would never hurt Kagome. _But, *she* would… _she playfully slapped her own cheeks, _get it together!_

Kagome marched into the restaurant, in all black – which is what all waitresses at Shippo's had to wear. With her head up high, Kagome started to work. She graciously served every customer – the thought that she might see Inuyasha today disappeared from her mind as she was too busy enjoying her job. She hadn't realized how much she missed her job, but there was probably one thing she didn't miss all that much: one of the regulars, Koga. Koga was very attractive, yet also very persistent. His black hair was a bit longer than Kagome's, and he wore it in a ponytail similar to Sango's. However, Kagome did admit to Sango one drunken night that she really loved how hypnotic Koga's cerulean eyes were. She was also quite flattered that despite the amount of times she had rejected him, he kept coming back – and always leaving such big tips. He did mention to her once that his family was big on wolf fur trades, or something of the sorts. Lost in her work, she hardly had time to realize that the representatives from Western Lands Inc. had already made their way into the restaurant. Before Koga could begin his routine hitting on Kagome, Sango pulled her aside, "Kagome… they're here," Sango told her friend. Kagome turned and saw two men talking to Miroku – but the backs of the men were facing her, so she couldn't tell who it was. Clearly though, one of them had long silver hair – and Kagome, having met Inu no Taisho, Inuyasha's father, knew that Inu no Taisho usually wore his long silver hair up. Inuyasha wore his hair down… Kagome was quite far and couldn't make out much, but the hair was enough. She had played with Inuyasha's hair quite often, much to his dismay. She knew it well. Her heart pounded in her chest, and again, tears welled in her eyes.

"Uhm, excuse me, could I get some water over here?" A customer beckoned for her. Without a thought Kagome went towards the table, a pitcher of water in her hand. Being so emotionally distraught, she didn't notice the representatives and Miroku walking in her path. _Crash_ went the pitcher, water poured all over the man with silver hair. The man that was not Inuyasha, not Inu no Taisho – but the other male member of the Meido family: Sesshomaru. A now very wet Sesshomaru, at that. He was tall and gallant, at least a head and a half taller than her. Up close, it was easier to tell that his hair was much longer and much better kept than Inuyasha's – although, he had the same piercing gold-coloured eyes. His dress shirt, wet, clung to his fit figure. This made Kagome experience a wide array of emotions: she was relieved that it wasn't Inuyasha, blushing at the attractive man in front of her, curious as to why he was here instead of Inuyasha or Inu no Taisho, sad that no matter what she did she couldn't escape the Meido family, and so much more. She felt him staring at her name tag, he gave her a glare and suddenly fear of being fired pulled her back to reality, "I'm really sorry! This is all my fault! I'll get this cleaned up right away!"_ Thank goodness the pitcher is plastic, otherwise it would have shattered into a million pieces.. that I would spend however long trying to find._ Throughout this, the tiny man by Sesshomaru's side, the other representative would not stop cursing Kagome.

"Do you know who this is? You stupid little girl. You should be fired immediately," the tiny man said.

"Now, now, Mister Jaken. Everyone makes mistakes," Miroku chimed in – in hopes of protecting Kagome's job. Sesshomaru's glare instantaneously transferred to Jaken.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru said calmly.

"Yes, Master Sesshomaru?" Jaken replied to his boss.

"Shut up," Sesshomaru said coolly, exiting the building with a frantic Jaken not far behind him.

Sango helped Kagome mop up the water she had spilled on the black tiles, completing their task by placing a "Danger! This area is wet" sign up.

"So Sesshomaru Meido is Inuyasha's older brother?" Sango asked Kagome.

"Half-brother. Inuyasha and him hate each other. I've never actually met Sesshomaru before. I just know whatever Inuyasha told me about him. He's supposedly a big prick," Kagome said while putting away their mops in a cleaning supply closet.

"Well, he sure seemed like a big prick. But, thank God he didn't fire you," Sango gave a sigh of relief. Sango could tell her friend needed a bit of cheering up, "Hey, why don't we go to the archery range tomorrow?" Kagome smiled, her friends always knew just what she needed.

* * *

He finished on her face, his cum dripping from her chin. He withdrew his length from between her breasts but didn't budge from his seat. She was on her knees down on his office floor, with only her work pants on. He sat in his chair behind his desk, only wearing an undershirt. It was always exhilarating to be with Sesshomaru. He got up from his seat and pushed his secretary to her back. Tape over her mouth, and her hands tied behind her back, her red eyes glaring at him. He loved to be glared at. Sesshomaru found his way to his knees and shuffled on top of her. He quickly removed the tape from her plump lips, not wanting to hurt her.

"I still don't understand why you had to tape my mouth shut," she said, while rolling her big red eyes.

"You're too loud for the office. I'd rather my father _didn't_ fire me anytime soon," he explained.

"Then what about my hands?" She asked, raising a brow. He simply smirked in reply. Suddenly, Sesshomaru's cell phone began to ring and he put the tape back on to her lips, "Sorry, Kagura. This is probably important." She muttered profanities beneath the tape.

"Yes, mother? What? No. Why? Fine," and with that, he hung up. Sesshomaru Meido was a man of a few words. He could tell Kagura was giving him a curious look and was going to ask him about it so he removed the tape from her lips once more and quickly answered her unspoken question, "My mother is forcing me to go do a routine check up on some restaurant in the city. It seems Inuyasha in incapable of doing his job."

"Mind untying my hands?"

"I didn't say I was done with you yet," Sesshomaru whispered into her ear while ravaging at her neck as his hands slid below her belt.

* * *

He rode in a company car with Jaken, his advisor, sitting next to him. The driver was silent and was instructed to put the window up between them. While Jaken was kissing ass as usual, Sesshomaru did his usual ignoring of Jaken. Instead, Sesshomaru was staring out the window wondering about the future of his father's legacy. Inu no Taisho was well known in Japan as a crafter of the most exquisite swords. The last two swords he made before he left Japan behind were the tetsusaiga, which he gave to Inuyasha and the tenseiga, which he left to Sesshomaru. Inu no Taisho was in an arranged marriage to Sesshomaru's mother, but had an affair with his childhood sweetheart, Izayoi. The affair itself was quite out of character for such a loyal man, but the affair did result in the conception of Inuyasha – Sesshomaru's half-brother. When they came to America in hopes to start anew, his father started a new business and opened up traditional Japanese restaurants across the country. Now so successful, Sesshomaru worried that his father would give the company to his favourite child, Inuyasha.

_Now, I'm stuck here, doing that idiot's work,_ he mentally sighed. The car stopped and Sesshomaru looked outside the window to see they were in front of Shippo's, a sushi restaurant run by Western Lands Inc. _Shippo's? Such a stupid name. Probably something that idiot, Inuyasha, came up wth._

"Oh hey Master Sesshomaru! It looks like we're here! Shippo's? Didn't Inuyasha choose the name of this restaurant…" that's the only part of Jaken's monologue that Sesshomaru took in. _I knew it. That idiot._

The two men entered the restaurant, and began to take care of business with Miroku – the manager of the establishment. When Miroku was about to lead Sesshomaru and Jaken to the kitchen, a clumsy waitress bumped into Sesshomaru – drenching him in water. He could hear Jaken telling her off but Sesshomaru quickly took note of her name tag. _Kagome?_ He could have sworn he heard that name before. _The girl Inuyasha brought home to his father? Hmph. So that's why he couldn't come. So useless, he can't even keep a meaningless relationship lasting, how is he going to keep a company intact?_

"I'm really sorry! This is all my fault! I'll get this cleaned up right away!" He heard her say, holding her hands in an apologetic prayer position. _You're right, this is your fault. But, I'm not talking about the damn water._ Sesshomaru gave a grunt after telling Jaken to shut up, and left the restaurant. Something so frivolous was not worth the great Sesshomaru's time. Inuyasha could clean up his own messes.

Sesshomaru had better and much more _fun_ ways to spend his time.

**Author's Note:** Please R&R, I know I posted this chapter before but I did make some minor changes, and I finally think I know how I would like it to progress from here on out. Any ideas? Suggestions? I welcome constructive criticism!


	2. An Affair to Remember

**Arrows Through the Heart**

**Chapter 2: An Affair to Remember**

Their apartment was small yet quaint. Cozy. As soon as you entered, you were in the kitchen. All the basic appliances were up against the front wall – opposite a window. There was also a wall clock, circular with a plain black rim. Tucked beside the window was a square wooden table with seats on each side. Both ladies shared a washroom that they kept in pristine condition. Sango's room was on the left, Kagome's room was on the right. Kirara spent most of her time in Sango's room, much to the dismay of Kagome. It made her long for the company of the cat she left back home in Japan – Buyo, who would always spend time with her. Kagome's room was quite big for a two bedroom apartment. She kept it neat and tidy – her clothes in her closet, her make up by her dresser. Her bed was pressed against the wall, a window was close enough for her to look out of as she lay in bed.

Kagome was sprawled across her bed. Her body wouldn't let her sleep any longer than she already had. She didn't want to get up. She just wanted to sleep and spend time with her dreams, to run away from her reality that troubled her so. Life was too hard. She couldn't reach her dreams, she couldn't get over Inuyasha, and quite frankly, she was bringing down her friends, whom she loved more than anything. Kagome stared silently at the ceiling as she remembered the previous night at work. Sesshomaru was there. _What was Sesshomaru doing there?_ He had never come to the restaurant before. Inuyasha generally looked over Shippo's. _Maybe he couldn't face me?_ She grabbed a pillow and hugged it tight against her chest, digging her chin into it. _No, he's not hurting the same way I am._ Instead, she figured that he must have been trying to give him the space she needed. But, even if that was the reason, it was nice that Sesshomaru handled the inspection in his stead. Thinking about it, Kagome realized that Sesshomaru was nothing like Inuyasha described. His older brother was much taller than Inuyasha, with much broader shoulders – Kagome blushed at the thought – probably much more muscular as well. Where Inuyasha had boyish good looks and charm, Sesshomaru had sharp features – each one amplifying his handsome face. Inuyasha always told her that his brother was a jerk… _ well… Sesshomaru did tell his advisor to shut up… but his advisor was yelling at me and Sesshomaru stopped him. Maybe he's not that big of a jerk after all?_ Kagome stopped mid thoughts and gave a tight squeeze to her pillow, "Why am I thinking about those Meido boys?!" She frantically stood up upon her bed, gripping the pillow even harder. "I don't ever want to see another Meido boy ever again!" She flung the pillow straight across her room, hitting the wall. She was thankful that Sango had taken her to the archery range early in the morning before running to work. Some girls throw things or rip things when they break up with someone, but not Kagome. Nothing lifted the anger like a visit to the archery range with her best friend. Sango had let her pin a picture of Inuyasha to her target before she started shooting arrows.

Gentle knocks at her apartment door pulled Kagome back to earth. She gave a quick glance at her clock. _Sango is home early… is her shift done already?_ No. She knew it couldn't have been Sango. Sango still had many hours left in her day. Kagome plopped off her mattress and made her way to the front door. The gentle knocks faded into silence, followed by a familiar voice.

"K-Kagome?" A man said in a soft voice from beyond the door. Kagome froze in her tracks. This could not be happening. Maybe she was asleep and this was some twisted nightmare. "Kagome?" The man repeated in the same soft tone, as though speaking to a young child. She wanted to pinch herself but she was far too afraid of being reassured that this was real. Slowly, she inched closer towards the door and tippy-toed to peek at the visitor through the peep hole. It took her one second – the untamed silver hair and giant golden orbs for eyes that stared at the ground, the signature apologetic stance of one Inuyasha Meido. _Who buzzed him in?_ She turned around, with her back against the door she slid down to the floor. _Why is this happening?!_ This time, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. She wanted so badly to cry out loud but she wouldn't allow herself to make a single sound. She could tell by the look on his face that he looked sorry. Guilty. He had done something wrong, something he regretted. A flow of assumptions and emotions rushed through Kagome. _Was he with Kikyo again, and he came to tell her? Was he happier with her? Did he regret spending a night with Kikyo? Did he want her back?_ She was feeling so many things she couldn't help but whimper her cries. She could hear that he was dialing someone but didn't motion to move at all. Kagome's cell phone had gone off. She left her cell phone on the far right corner of the kitchen counter, beside the door, only an arms-length away from Kagome herself. Still, she didn't move to turn it off or answer it. In the silence, she knew that Inuyasha could hear her phone ringing, and she was well aware that he knew her ringtone. He sighed loud enough for her to hear. "Kagome…" He said her name a third time. They were there for a while, separated by a door. Kagome on the ground, crying, with her back against the door. She held her knees hard against herself. On the other side, Inuyasha had his hands firmly on the door - almost like he knew she was right there in front of him. Eventually, he knew there was nothing he could do and without saying anything, he walked away towards the elevator. Kagome stayed by the door – with visions of Inuyasha and Kikyo clouding her head. She couldn't move. Her body wouldn't let her. Why would he come to see her? She knew she would have to face him eventually. All of their friends were mutual and she worked for his father after all. Kagome knew in her heart that she would have to see Inuyasha soon enough, but not this soon. Not now.

* * *

The little girl in the orange dress huffed at her classmates. This wasn't fair. She knew it wasn't. What was she supposed to do with this assignment? Grade 4 was hard work. She sighed and put her head down at her table. The classroom was well decorated with many paintings – paintings you could tell were done by small children. All the tables were red and circular and sat up to 4 children on matching red chairs. The entire room was carpeted bright blue, and an unnecessary rug lay at the front of the class in front of the chalkboard, and in front of Miss Kaede's rocking chair for reading time.

The little girl in the orange dress felt a warm hand on her shoulder, causing her to lift her head.

"Rin, what's wrong?"

Rin looked up to see her kind and gentle-hearted teacher, Miss Kaede staring down at her with a concerned look. Miss Kaede was an elderly woman with righteous intentions.

"Miss Kaede… I can't do this assignment," Rin answered honestly, "I don't have a mother. How am I supposed to make her a mother's day card?" She sighed. Mother's day – it didn't make her sad; she just didn't see the point of it. Miss Kaede hummed, thinking of a solution. She knew Rin's story well. Rin was an orphan who out of shock went mute after seeing the murder of both her parents. After Sesshomaru Meido adopted her, however, she began speaking and making friends again. But Sesshomaru Meido was all that this little girl considered family, and so she loved him and she cherished him.

"Well, Rin. You may not have a mother but you have a father that acts as both parents for you, do you not?" Miss Kaede asked her. Rin nodded in reply. "So then… why don't you make a card for your father, to let him know you appreciate him working as hard as two parents?" Rin smiled at the idea, and hopped straight to work. When she was done, she placed the card gently in her yellow messenger back that her adoptive father bought her.

After art class, it would be time for reading buddies. The grade 4 students would help kindergarten students practice their readings, each fourth grader would be paired with a kindergarten student. Rin's reading buddy was a small boy named Shippo. Rin actually knew him from the orphanage, and was excited to see him at school – it meant he had been adopted too. He was cheery with a big smile, she guessed he must have been adopted by a loving family. He also had bright copper hair that made him stand out from all the other children. Rin loved that Shippo was always so happy to see her. _So, maybe grade 4 isn't all that bad._

* * *

Sango leaned against the elevator wall, exhausted. Yes, she hadn't worked her whole shift but she had gotten up early to take Kagome to the archery range, and Miroku had asked her to work a split shift – so she would have to return in the evening for dinner time at Shippo's. She sighed as the elevator took its sweet time. _Sometimes I feel like Kagome and I are the only two people who work at that place._ She gave a twisted smile, _well, if that perverted manager would stop hitting on all of his employees…_ the elevator door opened.

She was walking to room 307, and began searching her purse for her keys. _I'm going to just get straight into bed and get as much sleep as I possibly can. _She unlocked the door and opened it, "I'm ho-" she stopped mid-sentence at the sight of Kagome sleeping on the floor right in front of the door. Sango began to worry, what had happened to her friend?

She knelt down beside Kagome and called her name in a soft voice. Kagome slowly opened her eyes. They were a bit red and puffy. Sango could tell she had been crying, but she didn't want to ask. She didn't want to re-open a wound that hadn't had even a second to heal.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered. Sango pulled her friend up and into her chest, apologizing to her for not being there for her. She then rested Kagome's head on her lap and tried her best to comfort her.

It had been a while, but their nighttime shift was about to start. Kagome had gotten up to start getting ready for work, but Sango knew she was in no condition to work.

"Kagome, let me call Miroku – we shouldn't go into work tonight. We'll stay home, we can have a girls night!" Sango suggested. Kagome had already made up her mind though, it was clear to her that Inuyasha had moved on, and she needed to too. This was it; her mourning time was over.

"Thanks, Sango, but it's time I moved on. Inuyasha surely did. I'm sorry for always bringing you and Miroku down… let's go to work." Sango hugged her friend, assuring her that she was not bringing them down and the two headed out for Shippo's. Yes, Kagome finally decided she wasn't going to be held back anymore, she wasn't going to cry anymore. Life went on. And if Inuyasha was seeing Kikyo, then she would see other people too.

* * *

The night was not as busy as they thought it would be, but Sango was still tired from working her shift earlier in the day. It was nearing the end of their shift.

"Sango, do you want to go home? I know you're tired. I can handle the rest of the night if you want," Kagome offered. Sango politely refused as she needed her tips. Every bit helped considering a fair chunk of her income went towards her younger brother's college education fund.

Kagome was serving her last table for the night while Sango and Miroku were cleaning up behind the cash desk. Koga and his two friends, Ginta and Hakkaku were the last customers for the night. While Kagome was going to ask them if everything was okay with their meal, Inuyasha slipped into the restaurant and made his way to Miroku and Sango.

"Oh, Kagome, how are you doing?" Koga asked her kindly.

"I'm all right, thanks Koga," Kagome smiled, "Was everything okay tonight? Can I get you anything else?"

Inuyasha was watching Kagome and Koga, ignoring Miroku who was asking if it was wise of him to be here.

"What's that stupid idiot doing here? Can't he eat anywhere else? Why does he always have to come here?" Inuyasha asked his friends, staring intently at Koga.

"Well, it probably has something to do with Kagome being very beautiful and very single," Miroku answered honestly – stressing the single part. It made Inuyasha cringe; just because it was true did not mean he liked hearing it. Just because he was responsible for it did not mean he enjoyed feeling like the villain.

"Inuyasha… are you sure you should be here right now?" Sango asked him, not sure at how Kagome would handle Inuyasha's presence.

Koga, Ginta and Hakkaku were thanking Kagome and pulling out their wallets to pay.

"Hey, Kagome, are you busy tomorrow night?" Koga asked her while he was pulling out bills, probably too shy to ask her while looking at her directly.

Kagome was gathering their empty plates and thought about it, "No, I don't think so," she answered.

"How about I pick you up at 7 for dinner then?" Koga asked her with a toothy grin – a little hope gave him the courage he needed.

Behind them, Miroku was holding back Inuyasha who had rolled up his sleeves in preparation to fight Koga. Even looking at Koga had irked Inuyasha, but now Koga asked out _his_ Kagome.

"You let her go, Inuyasha. She's not yours anymore," Miroku told him flat. Sango was trying to calm them both down.

With a finger on her chin, and her foot tapping on the ground, Kagome thought about it. _We're just friends, I know I could never feel anything towards Koga like that. Wouldn't I be leading him on if I said yes? Ah, but then I might always wonder 'What if…' oh, what the hell!_ She pounded her fist in her other hand, "Okay! 7 o'clock sharp! See you then!" Koga smiled at her reply and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before he and his snickering friends left. No one even noticed Inuyasha.

Behind them, Inuyasha fell back onto Miroku at her answer, both landing on the floor. Kagome thought she heard a thud so she turned around, but just saw Sango there with a strange smile on her face, waving. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and took the dirty dishes to the back kitchen for cleaning. She was cleaning up the kitchen and finished putting away the now clean dishes.

Koga, Ginta and Hakkaku left, shortly followed by a dazed Inuyasha.

Kagome came back out to clean the table the three friends had been eating at and realized she forgot to put the money in the till. When she counted it, she realized that Koga had tipped her $500. Her eyes widened.

"Sango, Miroku, look!" She called her friends who were cleaning up the back of the the cash desk. They came and stared at her, they too were surprised.

"A $500 tip? Are you sure he won't be expecting anything in return?" Miroku slyly suggested, rightly earning a just slap from Sango who stood beside him, unwavering.

"You're the only one who would think that way, Miroku. If you stopped asking all your waitresses to bear your children than maybe Kagome and I wouldn't have to work so much," Sango said with a huff.

"Sango, you should take this, you worked much more than me today," Kagome held the bills out for her, but again Sango refused her kind gesture, explaining that she couldn't take money she herself did not earn.

"Kagome, why don't you go home for now? Sango and I are just about cleaning up, and I want to teach Sango how to close the tills properly." Miroku said to her, followed by a nod from Kagome. Sango froze, mentally screaming in a scared voice for Kagome to stay. She couldn't be alone with Miroku. Her heart skipped a beat, but then it was beating all too loud. After grabbing her bag, Kagome left, smiling to herself. _I wonder what Miroku wants to do with Sango alone… _she giggled, happy for her friend. She knew Sango had always had a soft spot for Miroku. Sango worked so hard, she deserved to have a little fun.

Sango was nervous. She had been alone with Miroku before when Inuyasha and Kagome were off on dates, and she had worked with him alone… she just never really acknowledged it. This time he asked to be alone with her too and she knew she didn't need to learn how to close the tills. What exactly was Miroku planning? Was he inspired by Koga to ask her out? Sango tried to stop herself from blushing, but because she couldn't tell whether she was or not, she just tried her best not to face Miroku directly.

"Hey, Sango… I'm sorry for making you work such a crappy split shift today," he said.

"Waha… ha… it's fine, don't worry about it," Sango fiddled with her fingers and then decided to make it look like she was rubbing something off the cash desk.

"Are you feeling tired? Did you get enough sleep?" She flushed at his concern. "Here, let me give you a massage," Miroku offered. Before Sango could refuse, his hands were on her back. Sango was a bright shade of red, whatever exhaustion she was feeling before was sucked out of her and replaced with nervousness and anxiety. She was leaning against the cash desk. _What's going on?!_ She asked herself, grateful that he couldn't see her facial expression. All the anxiety made her stiff.

"You're a bit stiff, Sango," Miroku told her, as he rubbed her shoulders. Sango was going frantic on the inside; she couldn't even enjoy his hands on her. _This is insane, it's not like I'm some innocent school girl, why am I acting like one?_ She took a deep breath and eased into his touch. It felt so good to have his hands on her, touching her, relieving her. She wanted to moan but she couldn't let him know she enjoyed it that much. She didn't want to make a sound, scared of what her voice may sound like in this state. His hands moved to her mid-back and then her lower back. Just then, Sango twitched when she realized he was grabbing her ass. As if on instinct, she twirled around and slapped him. She immediately regretted what she did but she couldn't find the words. Miroku placed a hand where she had hit him and winced at the pain. Not knowing how else she would fix the situation, Sango pushed herself on him, forcibly kissing him, giving him the okay to continue. Miroku immediately put his arms around her, holding her against him as he returned the kiss. He pushed her hard against the cash desk before she began to unbutton his tailored shirt. They looked at each other for an instance while Sango flung his shirt onto the floor. Miroku put his hands behind her neck and pulled her in for another intense kiss. While their hands roamed each other's bodies, they slowly undressed each other. Miroku lifted Sango up and sat her on the cash desk. The kiss he gave her before he entered her was different from the previous ones. It was a kiss that told her his affection was sincere.

* * *

Kagura was bored. Western Lands Inc. not only owned the whole building but several others as well. Each floor of every building was the same: rows and rows of cubicles that drove the workers mad. At least Kagura didn't have to work in a cubicle. She sat at an open desk in front of Sesshomaru's office. She had a simple desk with a computer and a phone and several pieces of stationary. She opened the notebook on her desk and looked at the list she had made. The people on the list were the ones Kagura intended to invite her birthday dinner which was just around the corner. She was frustrated, though. Why did every member of her family have to be so God damn crazy? She examined the list:

Kanna : Her albino sister - whom she was quite sure was sociopath due to her lack of empathy.

Naraku : Her scary older cousin who was power-crazy, and had an odd fascination with spiders.

Goshinki : Not really pleasant to look at, and much like Naraku, hated the Meido family for no real reason in particular. Just another cousin.

Juromaru: The autistic cousin no one cared for properly.

Kageromaru: Brother to Juromaru, and treated his brother poorly for no reason. Jerk.

Moryomaru : The big lump with no brain. He did nothing but carry around his baby brother who had no name, so Kagura just listed his nameless brother as "The Infant."

Before Kagura could continue reading through her list, she realized a lot of "-marus" in her family. She skipped to the bottom of the list where she quickly jotted down the name: Sesshomaru. _Another –maru? Am I cursed or something?_ She thought about it, and then placed a question mark beside the name. A second later, she thought about it again and crossed out the name completely. _Of course he wouldn't come. He wouldn't even remember. _ Just then, Sesshomaru called for Kagura to come into his office. Quickly, Kagura wrote down his name a second time beside the one she had scratched out.

Kagura entered his office. "Yes, Sesshomaru?" She wondered why he had called for her, as her eyes wondered the office – not being able to find a spot where she and Sesshomaru hadn't taken part in some kind of sexual act. She smirked.

"Clear my schedule for tomorrow night, and you can take the day off too," Sesshomaru told her without looking up from his computer.

"Yes, of course…" Kagura muttered. She had never questioned him before, but, he had never just given her the day off, "May I ask… what are you doing tomorrow, Sesshomaru?"

"I have a date," Sesshomaru replied, still not looking up from his computer. Kagura discretely left his office and made her way back to her desk. Her heart sank when he told her he had a date – one important enough to clear the whole evening for. She knew that he was one to sleep around, but she never figured him to be the type to actually date a woman. Needless to say, Kagura didn't have to scratch his name out a second time because she threw her whole list in the trash. _Whatever…_

* * *

Tomorrow had finally come. _Why did I do this to myself again?_ Kagome stared at herself in the mirror that was placed atop her dresser. She wore her raven-coloured hair in light curls. Her short bangs were freshly trimmed and perfectly framed her face. Simple and clean make-up was tastefully applied to her face. She hadn't gotten ready like this in a long time, but she wouldn't let herself think of it. No; tonight was for her to finally enjoy herself. Tonight, she would leave her past behind her and start the process of healing, the process of moving on. She wore a fitted pastel blue dress that ended right above her knees. The sweetheart neckline of the dress showed off just a bit of cleavage – leaving much to the imagination. "Ah! I almost forgot!" Kagome reached into her small black clutch that was covered in dainty rhinestones (exactly matching the heels she would be wearing for the evening) and pulled out a nude lip gloss and applied a small amount to her lips. She smiled at her reflection, pleased with the results. It was almost 7 o'clock; Koga would be there for her soon. Kagome let out a sigh – she was a little nervous. She didn't really have romantic feelings for Koga and saw him more as a friend… but she felt like she was so out of touch with the dating world. What if she said something or did something that completely embarrassed herself? It scared her. She liked the fear of being vulnerable; it made her feel as though she was doing something right. Too bad they were going out for dinner. Working at a restaurant and practicing to be a chef took the magic out of dinner dates.

She heard a ring, ran to her intercom and buzzed Koga in. _Oh man, oh man, oh man… what am I doing? Maybe I should tell him I'm sick! I can't do this! _She started breathing heavy. _Come on, Kagome, get it together!_ She gave herself a gentle slap on the cheek. There was a knock at the door – exactly 7. Having dated Inuyasha, who was late for everything with no good reason, she much appreciated the punctuality. It made her feel valued and important. Kagome took a deep breath before answering the door. Upon opening the door, she instantaneously decided she needed less attractive friends. Koga looked quite handsome when he was polished for a date. Trying to register her thoughts, she didn't realize the small bouquet of flowers in her hands, nor did she remember her manners.

"Wow, Kagome, you look beautiful," Koga smiled at his date and held the flowers out for her. It had been a while since Kagome got such treatment. Even in her last few months with Inuyasha they had reached a stage of just being so comfortable with one another, they lost the need to impress one another, the want to impress one another.

"You don't look half bad yourself! Ah, let me get some water for those…" Kagome thanked him for the flowers before hunting for a vase in her kitchen to put them in. "Oh, please come inside," Kagome invited him in. _Kagome! Get a grip! It's just a date with a friend._ She was mentally scolding herself forgetting to invite him in sooner. Koga took a few steps into her apartment and looked around. Kagome found a vase suitable for the bouquet and filled it with just enough water. She opened the bouquet and placed each stem carefully into the vase. When she was done she centered the vase on the kitchen table, it really brightened the room up.

"Nice place you got here," Koga commented.

"Thanks! Sango and I love it," she smiled. She enjoyed just having small talk with someone without fighting, she forgot what it was like. Kagome slipped on her heels and the two head out.

* * *

"Rin, stop sticking your head out the window," Sesshomaru told his daughter.

"Yes, father," Rin said with a grin. She was excited to show him the card she had made for him the other day in school. Most children drew big red and pink hearts on their cards, or crayon illustrations of their family standing hand-in-hand outside their homes – but not Rin. Rin was different story. Instead, Rin drew pictures of her father killing strange-looking animals or demons of some sort with swords. Most children wrote "I love you" or "happy mother's day" on their cards – but not Rin. On the cover of Rin's card was a crayon drawing of Sesshomaru with strange tribal markings on his face and the words: "To my biggest hero…" On the inside, Sesshomaru was depicted slaying a giant dragon where the words read: "…killing one demon at a time!" Other kids didn't understand Rin's drawings, but Sesshomaru always kept them. Every single one. He was even taking her on a father-daughter date at a fancy restaurant. Rin smiled at her father, _I have the best dad in the whole entire world._

When the driver pulled over, Sesshomaru exited the car first and opened Rin's door for her. That's not something Sesshomaru Meido would regularly do for anyone else. Sesshomaru was dressed, as usual, in a suit and Rin was wearing a bright pink dress with a matching sweater, and over her shoulder was her yellow messenger bag. She hardly ever left home without it. While they were following their host to the table, Sesshomaru caught a glimpse of something he wanted. A light blue dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, long black hair and legs that went on for days. Yes. He decided that that's what he wanted. He was waiting for her to turn around to see her face, but didn't get a chance because Rin was calling for him. It didn't matter anyways. He had already envisioned those curves squirming under him, sweaty and hot. He would get them.

Kagome was seated at her table, waiting for Koga to return from the men's room. She looked up at the ceiling, a crystal chandelier hung above their table. _What a fancy place… _ a waiter brought over two menus. When she looked at the prices she gasped, _what the hell? Is the food made of gold? Why the heck is it so expensive here? Did I underdress? _Kagome turned her head right and left trying to take in what everyone else was wearing when her head stopped at a certain table. She frowned, _Do I have some sort of magnet attached to me that tells the Meido men where I am at all times of day?!_ She saw Sesshomaru sitting not too far away from her own table, sipping on a glass of wine. She had to admit though: Sesshomaru in a suit was a sight to see. She blushed, _no. Never going to go there again. That's a bad place, Kagome._ She couldn't see who he was dining with because a waiter stood in the way. _His girlfriend must be drop dead gorgeous… probably a model or an actress or something…_ her curiosity got the best of her and she stretched her neck in all directions trying to see who his girlfriend was. She had already imagined him with a lingerie model and needed to know if she was right – and if so, then which one?! She eventually tripped a waiter with all the moving around she was doing who dropped several plates that crashed against the tiled floor. They broke into pieces and Kagome felt horrible. She apologized and tried to help the waiter clean up the mess. A shard of ceramic plate pierced through Kagome's ankle, causing her to wince in pain. Everyone turned to Kagome's table to see what the ruckus was about. Kagome looked up and blinked, the waiter that was previously blocking her vision moved and Kagome could see that Sesshomaru was there with a child. _His child?_ Kagome felt so foolish and flushed, at least no one knew what she was doing or why. Sesshomaru turned to see what was going on. When he did he turned straight back to his plate. "Dad? Is something wrong?" Rin asked him (noticing the expression on his face), but he didn't answer – instead he drank more wine. Rin hoped the pretty lady at the table was okay; it looked like she had gotten hurt.

Sesshomaru didn't know how to feel. _I don't need my brother's left overs._ He snuck a peak at her once more, _although, now I see why he was with her. _He saw Koga head over to Kagome's table. _Intriguing._

"Dad! Dad! Look!" Rin dug into her messenger back and pulled out the card and handed it to him, he took it from her and examined it carefully. _Hero?_ He opened the card and his eye twitched. Rin's smile went from ear-ear.

"Rin, why am I always killing things in your drawings?" He questioned her after noticed the red crayon that signified blood coming out of the dragon he was slaying. _Is this normal for a 9 year old girl?_

"Because you're the good guy!" She waved her hands in the air happily. Sesshomaru was not sure how to respond to that.

"Thank you, Rin."

When Koga returned from the washroom he was angry at the waiter who had dropped the plates and yelled at him. Kagome tried to defend the waiter, feeling guilty, saying it was an accident and it was okay. Koga noticed a bit of blood trickling down Kagome's ankle.

"Kagome! You're hurt!"

"It's fine, really Koga. It's just a scratch!" Kagome tried to reassure him. Koga knelt down and slightly lifted her foot. He removed the shard of ceramic plate from her ankle and grabbed his napkin off the table, held it to her ankle and applied enough pressure to help stop the bleeding without hurting her. Kagome blushed, _I feel like Cinderella._

"Thank you, Koga…" Kagome muttered, staring down at Koga.

He looked up at her, and gave her a smile – still holding the napkin to her ankle.

"Dad, it looks like that lady is hurt," Rin told her father while pointing at Kagome.

"It doesn't concern us, Rin," he replied. Rin dipped into her messenger back and pulled out a bandage. She got off her chair and walked over to Koga and Kagome.

"Are you okay, miss?" Rin asked Kagome. Koga looked at the little girl, trying to figure out where he had seen her before. Kagome thought she was cute and endearing.

Rin looked up at Kagome. _She's the most beautifulest lady I've ever seen._

"I'm all right, thank you," Kagome said to the little girl with a smile.

"Here you go," Rin said as she handed Koga the bandage, "have a good dinner!" Rin waved and ran back to her table.

When Rin sat back at her table she looked at her father, "Dad, that lady is really pretty," she stated simply. Sesshomaru did not comment, nor did he look up from his plate. "Do you think I'll be that pretty one day?" Sesshomaru put his fork down.

"Rin, don't ask silly questions."

He didn't have to look up to see that his daughter was down.

"You're already beautiful."

* * *

Koga had offered to carry Kagome to the car and to her apartment, but she said she could walk on her own just fine. Kagome had to admit to herself that she had really enjoyed the evening. It had been a while since she got dressed up, had her date show up on time, with flowers, get treated like a princess and taken home. If she didn't see Koga as a friend she definitely would have swooned. When they made it back to her apartment, Kagome was unsure how to tell Koga she didn't want him to spend the night without sounding rude.

"Koga-" Kagome started, but Koga cut her off.

"You're still in love with that mutt-face, I know. I could tell."

"I'm sorry…" she looked down, relieved that he said it and not her. With just a single finger, he lifted her chin so that she would look at him.

"Well, when you're over that ugly mutt, you can come find me," he told her, bringing a smile to her face. Kagome had gone so long without smiling, but her friends had made her smile so much in two days. And just to think, she thought she would never be happy again after Inuyasha, who was she kidding?

"Thank you, Koga. I had a really lovely time. Thank you for the flowers and for dinner and-" he kissed her, and after two seconds, Kagome decided to kiss him back. It felt different. It was short and soft, but most of all, it was sparkless.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I edited this really late, so I apologize for any mistakes and for the several different breaks. It just helps with the build up for later chapters. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Constructive criticism is welcomed. Please let me know in the comments/reviews.


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